Ever since its debut, the RomeFilmFest has had a very original policy for its competition section: to entrust the verdict in the selection of best film (the Marcus Aurelius Award), best actor and best actress, as well as the Special Jury Prize, to a group of ordinary filmgoers: film lovers of all ages who go to see every kind of film imaginable; fans, but not fanatics.

After the extraordinary success of the festival’s first edition, with over 4,000 applications to be jury members, thanks to an agreement with the exhibitors of Rome and Lazio for the ‘Cin Cin Cinema’ promotional campaign, as well as the collaboration of youth media such as the film magazine CIAK and MTV Italy, the formula is back this year with a few important changes.

In fact, the festival jurors for 2007 will be coming both from Italian movie theaters (30 filmgoers) and from the rest of Europe (20 filmgoers). In a joint collaboration between Italian (Anec) and European (Europa Cinemas) exhibitors, along with CIAK magazine, the new jury will be the product of a balanced selection of ‘judges’ from diverse countries and cultures. Selection will start at the beginning of March and end on April 30. Over the course of the film festival the jurors will view the 14 films in competition and will award the prizes, the FilmFest’s only official awards for the competition section.

The selection of the Italian jurors

This year as last, on the occasion of the Cin Cin Cinema campaign and in collaboration with Anec Lazio, the RomeFilmFest has decided to promote the selection of the People’s Jury that will judge the films in competition for the festival’s second edition.

Starting on March 5, Cin Cin Cinema will distribute special movie cards in the movie theaters in Rome and the Province of Lazio that are adhering to the initiative. These cards will give filmgoers the chance to participate in the selection of 20 jury members (both Italian and foreigners resident in Rome or Lazio). The cards, to be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, must be sent to the offices of the RomeFilmFest by April 30, 2007 (as shown by the postmark), along with the other documents requested under the regulations.

The selection of the European jurors

As of this year, however, the jury for the RomeFilmFest’s official competition is going international.

In an agreement with the European network of quality movie theaters, EUROPA CINEMAS, (an initiative that is part of the E.U.’s MEDIA Program), 20 representatives of the European filmgoing public will be selected to bring other countries’ tastes in cinema to the RomeFilmFest. These jurors will come from France, Spain, Germany, Northern Europe and Eastern Europe, and will be selected according to criteria similar to those adopted for the Italian jurors.

Another group of jury members will be chosen in a collaboration with CIAK Magazine.

An indispensable prerequisite: all 50 jurors must demonstrate a working knowledge of the English language in order to be able to communicate with each other and debate the films.

Info: jury@romacinemafest.org